St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-08
CLEyELAND's ENCYCLOPEDIA

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Mr.. CLEVELAND was recently accused
of consulting the cyclopedias too fire.
quently. He now turns up as the au-
thor of the most famous and probably
the most useful cyclopedic literature
that has yet been written. His last
message to congress is a perfect tariff
encyclopedia. which will be referred to
and quoted long after this generation
has passed away. Ii is by all odds the
cleareSt exposition of the tariff question
that has ever been given to the public.
There isn't boy ten years old who will
sit down and read the message carefully
bat will get up with a clear understand
ing of the question that has for
years been pulling the brains
OF the most learned political
economists of the world. The message
is valuable handbook, not only be-
cause of the immense amount OfinfOrma
ton il contains. but also because of the
condensed form in which it is pre-
scented. There has never been such an
array of facts and figures and convinc-
ing argument in so small space. There
isn't a Minnesota farmer or working
man but can sit down at his tireSide
with this message in his hand and iii
one evening will have obtained as COM
prehensive a knowledge Of the tariff
and its direct bearing on his interests as
is possessed 10y the most eminent pro-
ftssOr of political science i'll the most
noted college or university. 1t is all
there and in a nutshell.
Mr. CLEVELAND will also have the
qualification Of knowing that his last
message will be read by more people
than any similar document that was
ever issued from the " hite house. 1t
has already created more profound
impression in Europe than any former
presidential message. But it is here in
this country that it will have the most
impressive effect. 1t will be read by
large class of people who have not been
in the habit of reading state papers.
Usually the vOluminOUs proportions of
executive messages and the large
amount of space devoted to matters de-
void of local interest or application have
deferred a large number of peO-
pie from attempting to wade
through these formidable looking
papers. The very brevity of Mr..
CLEVELAND's recent message will in
wife people TO read it, and no one who
starts in on it will be willing to lay it
down until completed. He starts off
without circumlOcution and plunges
right into the giSt of his subject. The
first sentences are so clear and ringing
that the readers appetite is Immediately
Whetted. He is eager to 90 on to see
what the conclusion Is. He finds it to be
string of political maXimS. each maxim
being a pearl of great value, and when
the end is reached the reader finds an
inclination to go back over the delight
full ground through which he has Just
passed TO gather up the precious string
and store it away in Mem0ry's vault for
future use.
Mr.. CLEVELAND'S tariff encyclopedia
will do the nation great service i'll that
1t will bring the tariff before the people
as direct issue to be settled, and set
tied for all time, in the next national
contest. 1t is now the uppermoSt QueS-
ton in the public mind, but by the
Vaccinations of the politicians it has
been kept Obscured from the public
view. Political conventions of all par
ties have been free enough in making
professions of tariff reform, but when
the time came for definite action
the leaders who were so free
in their professions were not
Oh hand for the fulfillment of them. Mr..
CLEVELAND has now boldly torn away
all guiSeS and artificial environments
that have heretofore kept the tariff in
subordinatiOn to other issues. With the
independence that is characteristic of
the man, he has discarded all precedent
in the manner of preparing presidential
messages and has chosen this 0ppOr-
tunity to place before the people of this
country the question of tariff reform as
the one and only issue. He has left no
room for lodging it or hedging on it,
The president and the people are to-
gether on this question, and they make
too strong team for the politicians to
pull against.